Quinoa is fast and easy to make, and is a great alternative to pasta, rice, or polenta. It’s also the Superfood of the Year! Here I’ve taken plain quinoa and added some ingredients that are light, but with some tang. This salad makes a great addition to picnics and barbecues.

I usually make these with meat, but I tried two veggie recipes this week that really worked. One is savory-sweet, while the other is just plain savory. *Both* times I meant to take a picture of the finished product with the dipping sauce, these delicious little rice envelopes disappeared too fast for me to remember! Stuffed grape leaves, popular in Greek, Turkish, and eastern European cuisine, are a perfect finger food for parties. Or you could just, you know, eat them all yourself.

Stuffed Grape Leaves!

You can buy jarred grape leaves at lots of specialty stores, or in supermarkets with aisles for international foods. Or grab them online!

Wash your leaves in cold water to get the brine off.

Toss the butter or oil, onions, and spices together.

Cook everything until the onions begin to go translucent.

Add the rice and cook it dry for a few minutes.

Now just cook it like rice, with water and stock.

Lay your leaves out vein-side up.

Place a tablespoon-sized bit of rice at the bottom of the leaf, in the center.

Roll the bottom up…

…then fold one side over…

…and the other…

…and roll the whole thing all the way to the end!

Place your leaves in a glass dish.

Pour a mixture of boiling water, olive oil, and lemon juice over the leaves.

Place a plate or some other heavy-ish weight on top. Bake until the water boils off, or drain it off when you’re tired of waiting.